Altec Lansing MZX406 Headphones with iPhone Control

The best way to approach my review of these "dual purpose" In Ear Monitors (IEM) is to compare them to my dedicated highend IEMs that costs close to $200 as well as the stock earbuds that comes with the iPhones. Out of the box these Altec Lansing IEMs have much stronger bass output compared to the stock iPhone 4 earbuds. This is expected since in general IEMs allow a better seal with the inner ear that's why they are called "In Ear Monitors". Earbuds like those that come with the iPhones in comparison don't allow a good seal and also don't extend into the inner ear. They also can't isolate the sound output from outside sounds.

So how do they sound? Well compared to the stock iPhone earbuds they have stronger bass output but this bass is also slightly "boomy" depending on which EQ setting you use. I normally use the "Latin" EQ setting because it gives the best balance and punch to my music. Ideally you'd want deep strong bass and smooth highs without adding boominess and...Read more

I have to wonder if I got a broken pair of headphones, because I had nothing but problems with these from the first moment.

The sound was tinny and I could not find anything that worked to improve it. I changed sound options, and then I used the headphones on other machines like my computer and non-iPod brand mp3 player, but it was always the same tinny, hard-to-hear result. The remote didn't work at all and broke after my 3rd attempt at adjusting volume -- but I should note that adjusting volume on the iPod or computer I was using didn't change the volume in the headphones, either, which leads me to believe that there is a technical problem with these headphones.

However, I know the earbud covers were not defective. They are, hands down, the most uncomfortable and stiff earbuds I have ever worn. They feel like cheap plastic rather than a semi-soft rubber feel that my other brands of headphones use. They didn't mold to the shape of the ear, meaning they...Read more

Just a note as I begin, I'm not a sound equipment expert. I'm just going off of my layman impressions and experience.

When comparing these ear-buds back and forth between my original iPod buds and a pair of noise-canceling buds, the sound quality on these MZX406s is clearly the best. I could hear a clear distinction between instruments, good separation between the two channels, and a really nice full-sounding quality overall. I actually kept listening and skipping around to other songs for longer than I intended for the review just to hear my songs "in a new light."

These buds also feature a volume control and basic stop/start functions on a slim little piece towards the top of the chord. Unfortunately, my older Nano (3rd, I believe -- the little square-ish one) does not support these functions. So bear in mind that, if those functions are important to you, they were designed for the more recent iPod/iPad/iPhones. Apparently there is also a microphone,...Read more